Sustainable practice
CLC Global Sustainable Ecosystem Summit: Advancing Low carbon S.M.A.R.T. Manufacturing and Collective Growth with 500 Partners
Addressing the global net-zero transition and rising demand for industrial collaboration, CLC expanded its supply chain initiatives by hosting the "CLC Global Sustainable Ecosystem Summit" in 2025. Under the vision of "Global Value Chain Co-creation," the summit connected domestic and international suppliers, customers, and experts to foster high-level dialogue among stakeholders. Centered on "Low Carbon Intelligence" and "Green Energy Generation," the event blueprinted the industry's evolution toward smart papermaking.
Sustainability in Practice × Global Connectivity: Building A Platform for Value Chain Synergy by 7 Keynotes
Under the theme "Together for a Sustainable Future," the summit convened 500+ partners and featured an immersive AI and-fiber exhibition. For the first time, CLC unified its 3 major business divisions—Containerboard, Corrugated Packaging, and Household Products and Paperboard—alongside supply chain partners, green finance institutions, and consultants to build a shared value platform.
In the opening address of Mr. Ching-Piao Chang, General Manager of CLC, he reaffirmed the company's commitment to "Low-carbon Smart Paper" and value-chain resilience through global cooperation. The conference also invited distinguished speakers, including Dr. Niven Huang, Managing Director of KPMG Sustainability Consulting, who shared insights on "Sustainability Resilience under Net-zero Trends," and Mr. Chang-Hsin Juan, Vice President of Da Fon Environmental Technology, who introduced practical experiences in "AI Sorting and Low-carbon Circular Applications." CLC executives also shared keynotes on ESG, AI applications, cybersecurity, human rights, and integrity, fostering cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange.
5 Strategic Actions: Driving Net-zero Transition and Deeping Value Chain Resilience
Leveraging an "AI × Green Energy" dual-axis strategy, CLC is upgrading traditional manufacturing facilities into smart, low-carbon hubs via AI-driven management and Smart Papermaking 4.0. Concurrently, it develops diverse renewable energy sources—including wind, solar, biogas power, and biomass cogeneration—tailored to the geographic and operational features of each mill, forming a robust green energy portfolio of "Wind, Solar, Biogas, and Biomass."
Toward its vision of becoming a "World-Class Green Papermaking Enterprise," CLC proposed five key sustainability actions to empower the entire value chain and elevate its ESG governance:
Launching Taiwan’s Largest Biomass Cogeneration System and Green Finance: Accelerating Supply Chain Decarbonization
To strengthen energy resilience, CLC deployed biomass cogeneration at Chupei Mill, repurposing manufacturing by-products like wood chips and pulp residue into fuel. Scaling this strategic footprint, CLC partnered with Finland’s Valmet to construct Taiwan’s largest biomass cogeneration system at the flagship Houli Mill. Featuring a 120-tonne Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) boiler and steam turbine generator, the system is projected to generate 128 million kWh of power and reduce carbon emissions by 48,000 tonnes of CO2e annually. The project integrates European low-pollution design with Valmet’s Automation and Big Data Platform, leveraging IIoT and remote connectivity to optimize operational efficiency and smart management.
To drive supply chain decarbonization, CLC collaborated with First Bank to launch the "CLC Supply Chain ESG Net-Zero Preferential Financing Program." This green finance mechanism encourages partners to adopt energy saving technologies and elevate ESG performance. By aligning Technology, Finance, and Governance, CLC is accelerating industry-wide decarbonization toward a net-zero future.
Innovative Paper-plastic Separation: A New Solution for Food Paper Container Recycling
In response to over 8 billion of waste food paper containers discarded annually in Taiwan, CLC has established the world's largest integrated solutions for food paper container recycling. Through innovative process technology, we have achieved high-efficiency paper-plastic separation, converting recovered containers into recovered bleached pulpline. Simultaneously, the surface PE (Polyethylene) lamination is repurposed into green fuel. This breakthrough in circular economy applications creates high-value-added green business opportunities that replace imports and significantly reduce carbon footprints.
Breaking the “Food Paper Container Waste Dilemma” through Circularity and Building a Sustainable Value Chain
While food paper containers, which require paper-plastic separation at professional factories, are designated as mandatory recyclable items by the Ministry of Environment. However, the lack of public awareness and specialized recycling capacity often leads to improper disposal and resource waste. Committed to resource regeneration, CLC has invested in innovative circular applications for food paper containers since 2018. At Chupei Mill, we established Taiwan’s 1st total integrated recycling line for food paper containers. By implementing advanced paper-plastic separation technology, we transform waste food containers into industrial coated cardstock, while clean trimmings are recycled into eco tissue. The remaining impurities and plastic coatings are processed into green energy fuel or eco-friendly building materials, establishing a sustainable business model that achieves both waste reduction and value creation.
Scaling up! Making the waste food paper containers to low-carbon products
To continuously scale our recycling capacity, CLC invested NTD 1.5 billion in 2023 to add a 66,000-tpa Recovered Bleached Pulpline at our Tayuan Mill. This expansion brings the Group’s total processing capacity for waste paper containers to 176,000 tpa, ranking among the top globally. This infrastructure allows us to process over 50% of Taiwan’s waste paper containers, contributing to an indirect carbon reduction of 1.02 million CO2e while reducing our reliance on imported virgin pulp and natural resources.
Furthermore, CLC has spearheaded the "Recycling Supply Chain Transformation and Upgrade" initiative. We collaborated with recycling operators to build Taiwan’s 1st dedicated recovery system for paper meal boxes. Through equipment upgrades, standardized sorting protocols, and on-site guidance, we have helped 167 recycling suppliers improve quality at the source, reducing paper residue by nearly 40% (compared to the base year 2017). To date, our network of partner recyclers has grown to 56 companies, a 56-fold increase since 2018.
Deepening Environmental Awareness: Sustainable Teacher Training Workshops Rooting Sustainability in Education
As our circular ecosystem matures, we are extending its value to education and the community. In 2021, CLC partnered with Tetra Pak and the Future Parenting Learning Platform to launch the "Sustainable Cycle of Paper" curriculum. This initiative provides free resources, including picture books, animations, and card games, to schools and community libraries. Our "Sustainable Teacher Workshops" have successfully integrated recycling knowledge into grassroots education, impacting over 27,000 children.
Opening the Factory: Integrating Sustainability into Daily Life
We believe that every dialogue is an opportunity for change. Each year, CLC mills/plants host representatives from government, industry, media, and academia to share our sustainability philosophy. In 2025, the Tayuan Mill opened its doors to teachers from our workshops and hosted the 1st "Regeneration Family Camp." Participants were able to touch the recycled pulp and witness firsthand how discarded resources are transformed into low-carbon products. By connecting industry with society, CLC’s recycling facilities have evolved beyond production bases into Environmental Education Sites, extending the spirit of circularity from a single production line to the entire island.
From Paper to Field: CLC's "Smart Sustainable Agriculture" Empowers Cross-sector Climate Adaptation
In alignment with the Group's vision of "Nature Sustainability, Paper toward Net-zero," CLC expanded its reach into the agricultural sector in 2025 by launching the "CLC Academy: Smart Sustainable Agriculture Series." By integrating recycled material innovation with professional agricultural expertise, we systematically support the enhancement of Taiwan’s climate resilience through Nature-based Solutions (NbS). These pioneering efforts in cross-sector sustainability were recognized with the 2025 CommonWealth “Excellence in CSR” Award.
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“CLC Academy” Supporting Sustainable Farming: A New Model for Natural Crop Management Model
Emphasizing "Natural Sustainability," CLC has extended its material innovation and sustainable educational initiatives from the paper industry to agriculture. In 2023, we introduced a 100% recovered, low-basis-weight eco weed control paper to replace traditional plastic mulching films. This innovation addresses long-standing issues in Taiwanese agriculture, such as plastic residue, soil degradation, and ecological burden, laying a solid foundation for soil health and climate adaptation while fulfilling our corporate responsibility toward local food security.
To further deepen the momentum of agricultural transformation, CLC collaborated in 2025 with Professor Emeritus Tung-Tsuan Tsai from the Department of Plant Pathology at National Chung Hsing University to launch the "Smart Sustainable Agriculture Series" at our Houli Mill. This integrated learning platform combines theoretical knowledge with field practice, focusing on "Standardized Crop Cultivation Management" and disease risk control. By promoting rational fertilization, precise pesticide use, and natural pest control, we assist farmers in maintaining yield and quality while reducing chemical dependency. This initiative drives Taiwan’s agriculture toward the high standard of "Non-detected" (ND) pesticide levels, achieving a "double-win" for farmers' livelihoods and ecological protection.
Advancing Nature Positive: A Strategic Move in Natural Risk Management
Faced with the rising risks of extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, strengthening agricultural resilience has become a vital global strategy for achieving Net-zero and a Nature Positive future. As a member of the world's 1st cohort of TNFD Early Adopters, CLC has placed nature-related issues at the heart of our sustainability governance. Our management team emphasizes that becoming "Nature Positive" is both a corporate responsibility and a transformative opportunity. CLC will continue to advance toward the goal of "Nature Sustainability, Paper toward Net-zero," redefining the paper industry’s role in coexisting with nature. By creating replicable and scalable nature-based solutions across sectors, we aim to drive the triple-win benefits of environmental restoration, ecological balance, and social prosperity.
